


Guide, not Force

by MrFrankyg4



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Cobra Kai (Web Series) RPF, Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Communication, Conversations, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, Heartwarming, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:54:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29236386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrFrankyg4/pseuds/MrFrankyg4
Summary: "You Can Lead a Horse To Water, But You Can’t Make It Drink". If only Daniel had realized this before he had called the cops on Robby, the act that made Robby feel betrayed and turn against his sensei.But what if Daniel had remembered that teachers are supposed to guide, not force their students?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Guide, not Force

Finally. After all this time, he’s appeared. Since the school fight, it’s almost like all of his time was spent trying to keep his dealerships afloat and trying his best to find Robby Keene, his wayward student. At last, he receives a message from Shannon informing him that he was at the rehab center with her. He lets out a sigh of relief and anxiety. 

It was time to fix this mess while he still could. 

He makes his way through the entrance as he sees Shannon walking towards him. 

"Is he OK?”,asked a worried Daniel. 

Shannon shakes her head. "I don’t think so, Daniel. He's talking like he's gonna leave town! Please, you have to help him!”

Daniel gently holds her shoulders as he proceeds to reassure her. " I will. But you gotta trust me here, all right? Ok? We will fix this.” Shannon then shakily nods her head as he makes his way towards Robby. 

“Hey.” Robby spins his head around in shock at the sound of that familiar voice…’M-Mr. Larusso’? 

“Nice cut”, Daniel commented jokingly, in an effort to lighten the mood. 

“S-sorry you've been stuck clearing up my mess”, murmured Robby. “I'll pay you back for the van. I…”

Daniel just waved him off. “Don’t worry about it, I didn't think that van was your style anyway...I know it must've been rough on your own out there.”

Robby inwardly shuddered at the memories coming back to him the moment after he ran out the school. Living on the streets and trying to keep his head low was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. But what no one realized was that he was more or less used to it. Almost all his life, he was more or less accustomed to being out and about. A lot of those times he would be committing petty crimes here and there, just so he would be able to have something to eat when his mom wasn’t lucky with finding any jobs. Most of those times he’d have no one to come home to later on in the day, not with his mom drinking and partying and his dad never so much as passing by to lend a hand to his own son. 

But the difference was that in these past few weeks, he truly and utterly was alone. 

Robby looked down in utter shame, and said the only thing he could muster up to change the subject: “Is Sam ok?”

Daniel slightly nodded in reassurance .“She's…worried about you. We all are, and your dad too”.

Not expecting that last part, all Robby could do was look down, lost in the sea of his own thoughts. 

Daniel then took a deep breath. It was time to get down to what needed to be said. “Look Robby.. I need to apologize to you.”

Robby’s head snapped up and he frantically shook his head.” But I caused all this! I kicked Miguel and-”

“I know you blame yourself. Daniel’s calm tone cut through his panic-stricken denial. “But I let you down. What I said to you the last time we saw each other was just…terrible. You didn’t deserve to hear those things. I never should have said them, and I'm so sorry.”

“N-no but you were right. It's a mistake to help me..because I can't change”! Robby protested. 

Daniel put up a hand to silence him. “We all make mistakes, Robby. But our mistakes don’t define us. You could learn from them, and I'll help you with that.”

“R-really?” Robby asked. Even after all this time, his sensei still thought about helping him. 

“Of course” Daniel assured him. “But you have to listen to me. You can’t spend your whole life on the run. It’s dangerous and unpredictable, and that's no way to live. This is the real world. It isn't like the movies.”

“Yeah well I’ve made it this far!”

“And how long do you think you’ll be able to last like this?” Daniel challenged. “The police WILL find you and you’ll end up serving so much more time than if you just surrender.”

“But I can’t! I’ll be locked up for years!” Robby shouted. Just the thought of rotting away for a chunk of his life was what helped push him to lay low, and now his sensei was suggesting that he give himself in anyways? 

“No Robby, you won’t. I’ve been talking around with the judge and the police. If you do, I promise it won’t be nowhere near as long. I’ll even get a lawyer to help reduce it even more. I swear to you that this is NOT the end of your life. You can come back from this. I’ll be there for you every step of the way and we’ll move on.”

It took Robby a few moments to comprehend this revelation. He thought his life was over already. He was already on his way to begin a lonely, dangerous journey that he was sure was about to become a reality.

But now he was offered a different choice. A path to own up to what he did, but was being reassured that it was nothing but a stepping stone at the second chance of a normal life. And all because of his sensei, Daniel Larusso. Never in his life had a parental figure ever stuck by him, or put him first. It made him feel worthless. But finally, someone had come to rescue him. 

Robby’s strength left him as he leaned forward and broke down, crying tears of relief and happiness. Daniel’s parental instincts took over as got up and placed Robby’s head on his shoulder as he held him in a tight embrace while he let out a flood of pent up emotions. It had been like this for a minute before he finally calmed down. 

Finally, they broke apart. 

“S-sorry about that..” Robby embarrassingly said. 

“Hah, yeah Mr. Tough Guy right? Don’t worry, it’s between us” Daniel had jokingly reassured him. Robby let out a small fit of laughter in response. 

“Just so you know, if you choose to do this, it’ll only be by your choice. I won’t force something like this for you.” 

Robby was eternally grateful. “Thank you, Mr. Larusso. I, um, think I’m ready to do this. It’s time to face this and put it behind me.”

All Daniel could do was let out a huge smile as he looked on at his student in utter pride.

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> There you have it folks!! 
> 
> Honestly, I feel that with a bit more planning, the scene between Daniel and Robby could have probably turned out into something like this. It's just that Robby felt betrayed from how Daniel approached it that he didn't even realize he was trying to help him.
> 
> Let me know what you guys think in the comments!!


End file.
